A wide variety of superconductive materials having high transition temperatures have been reported, including superconducting materials comprising yttrium, barium, and copper. The discovery of these and other compounds which are characterized by superconductive properties above the liquid nitrogen temperature, has prompted intensive efforts aimed at the development of thin films from these materials. Thin film superconductors based upon these yttrium, barium, and copper compounds have been prepared by electron-beam and sputter deposition, laser ablation of the material from bulk samples, and multi-layer depositions of the constituent elements followed by annealing. These are all processes which require vacuum processing.
As new materials with ever increasing superconductive transition temperatures are sought and developed, it is desirable to have a means for preparing thin films of these superconducting materials which utilizes non-vacuum techniques, permits easy alteration of chemical components, and is compatible with other film processing techniques.